3 Principles to Master Storytelling | Shaan Puri | How I Write Podcast

Authenticity

Shaan Puri emphasizes the importance of authenticity in writing, advocating for a style that mirrors natural speech. He argues that traditional education often teaches a formal writing style that doesn't resonate in the real world. Instead, Shaan suggests writing as if you're speaking, which helps overcome the intimidation of a blank page and ensures the content is engaging and relatable 1. He advises against writing about topics that don't genuinely interest you, as this lack of passion will be evident to readers 2.

Just take you and push it out. And so, for example, he would talk about subjects, and the writing was fine, but the subject was boring.

--- Shaan Puri

This approach not only makes writing more enjoyable but also more authentic and impactful.

   

Creative Flow

Maintaining a creative flow is crucial for effective writing, and Shaan Puri shares techniques to achieve this state. He highlights the importance of curiosity and revisiting simple ideas to fuel creativity 3. Shaan also suggests using voice transcription to bypass the critical part of the brain that hinders creativity, allowing ideas to flow more freely 4.

You're trying to get outside of that part of your brain that judges, that condemns, that says, no, it's not good enough, and just put stuff onto the page.

--- David Perell

Additionally, he mentions the unconventional approach of Miss Excel, who energizes her creativity by altering her state of mind before creating content 5.

   

Analytical Balance

Balancing analytical thinking with creativity is key to enhancing storytelling. Shaan Puri discusses how seemingly opposite traits, like being both visionary and detail-oriented, can coexist and complement each other 6. He uses the analogy of a river to describe the writing process, suggesting that ideas naturally want to flow, and the writer's job is to remove obstacles that block this flow 7.

Imagine our river is flowing. So this is a useful analogy because I think a lot of people are like, there's nothing there, and I got to make it happen.

--- Shaan Puri

This mindset shift from creating to uncovering can make the writing process more empowering and less daunting.